This invention relates to the automated processing of bulk mail, including extraction of documents from envelopes as well as remittance processing of the extracted documents.
A variety of organizations custormarily receive mail in large quantities and in bulk form, and a number of devices have been developed to facilitate the handling of such mail so as to enhance productivity. One such productivity aid is generally characterized by devices which are used for receiving mail (i.e., envelopes) in bulk form, and for extracting contents (i.e., documents) from such mail for subsequent processing. This may simply include an extraction of documents from envelopes, for subsequent processing making use of other devises, or by hand. However, such extraction may further include sorting procedures for directing only specified types of envelopes to the extraction apparatus and/or orienting procedures for organizing the extracted documents prior to their further processing. An example of a comprehensive apparatus of this general type is the Opex System 100, which is manufactured by Opex Corporation of Moorestown, N.J.
Another productivity aid is generally characterized by devices which are used for receiving documents, generally an invoice for payment and a corresponding check or bank draft, and for facilitating the entry of accounting information needed to ready such documents for deposit into the banking system. Such remittance processing devices generally operate to receive previously extracted documents (invoices and checks), for convenient presentation to an operator so that appropriate accounting information may be obtained and entered prior to stacking and subsequent processing (deposit) of such documents. Examples of remittance processing equipment of this general type are the Model S4000, among others, manufactured by Unisys Corp., of Detroit, Mich., and the Modal 9400, among other manufactured by BancTec (CES) of Dallas, Tex.
The above-described extraction devices and remittance processing devices have worked well in enhancing the productivity of mail room and accounting operations by expediting the processing of invoices, thereby reducing the amount of time which it takes to deposit the accompanying checks into the banking system. However, to date, devices for directly combining such functions in automated fashion have not been commercially available. Rather, common practice is for documents to first be extracted from their envelopes by an extraction device, for stacking in appropriate bins or trays, and for office personnel to then hand carry the extracted documents to the remittance processing device so that other personnel may then operate upon them. Such steps are clearly labor intensive, and are preferably avoided in order to enhance productivity and reduce processing times and the potential for error.
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide an integrated apparatus for automatically extracting documents from envelopes and for then presenting such documents for remittance processing.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for extracting documents from envelopes and for presenting such extracted documents from remittance processing in automated fashion and in bulk form.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for extracting documents from envelopes and for presenting such extracted documents for remittance processing which requires a minimum amount of intervention by an operator.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for extracting documents from envelopes and for presenting such extracted documents for remittance processing which is sufficiently versatile to handle different envelope configurations, as well as differences in the contents which are to be processed.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for extracting documents from envelopes and for presenting such extracted documents for remittance processing which is compatible with conventional mail room and remittance processing operations, including operations which precede extraction, and operations which follow remittance processing.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for extracting documents from envelopes and for presenting such extracted documents for remittance processing which is straightforward in operation, and relatively simple to service and use.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for extracting documents from envelopes and for presenting such extracted documents for remittance processing which is capable of assuming different configurations to satisfy varying needs of the industry.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for determining the orientation of specified documents either prior to or subsequent to subjecting the documents to an extraction procedure.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for identifying the orientation of specified documents at different stages of a mail extraction procedure, separate from the devices which are used to actually perform the extraction procedure.
These and other objects are achieved in accordance with the present invention by providing an apparatus for the automated processing of bulk mail wherein envelopes are transferred to the apparatus in bulk fashion (from incoming mail trays or the like), for the extraction of documents contained by the envelopes, followed by delivery of the extracted documents to a remittance processing device, both automatically and without the need for human intervention. Subsequent processing of the extracted documents within the remittance processing device then proceeds in usual fashion, completing the acquisition of information which is necessary to ready such documents for deposit into the banking system.
Versatility of the apparatus is enhanced by providing additional functions which can be employed in accordance with the present invention to compliment operations of the basic apparatus.
For example, various presorting functions may be employed so that only envelopes containing documents of a specified type will be fully processed. Since a primary purpose of the present invention is to arrange for the deposit of checks as soon as possible, such presorting will often operate to identify envelopes containing invoices and accompanying checks for payment. Envelopes containing other types of documents, or documents in addition to those which are desired, as well as envelopes which might contain documents which are attached by staples, paper clips or the like and which are, therefore, not appropriate for automated extraction, will then preferably be set aside for separate processing. Consequently, prior to extraction, various sorting functions may be performed to identify envelopes which do not contain the documents which are desired. Steps may then be taken to remove such envelopes from the processing stream.
Yet other sorting functions may be employed following extraction of the documents. For example, it may be desired to identify specific types of documents (invoices or checks) for separate processing, without subjecting the extracted documents to a remittance processing procedure. Alternatively, it may be desired to process such documents, in bulk, based upon certain common criteria deemed appropriate for effective presentation to the remittance processing device.
Yet another consideration is that in view of the significant number of envelopes which can be processed by existing mail extraction equipment, a single extraction device may be used to deliver extracted documents to either one, or a series of remittance processing devices, as desired. The delivery of documents to a single remittance processing device may, if desired, be accomplished in connection with a buffer which can receive and temporarily store documents received from the extraction device, for appropriate delivery to the remittance processing device responsive to demand. Alternatively, plural remittance processing devices may be fed by a single extraction device by gating documents delivered from the extraction device toward the several remittance processing devices which are in use, either with or without a buffering of the extracted documents prior to such remittance processing.
For further detail regarding preferred embodiment devices produced in accordance with the present invention, reference is made to the detailed description which is provided below, taken in conjunction with the following illustrations.